Thanks, Todd! This was a late September release at the brewery, and was consumed in mid-February. I really wish these kinds of beers wouldn't arrive to me so old and late, but there didn't seem to be anything wrong with this, so I went ahead with the review. Poured out of a 22oz bottle into a tulip glass.

Wow, that's a really good looking black ale, which is unlike other low ABV offerings that I've had in the past. Darkened, for the most part, with some nice reddish and light maroon streaks against the light. A frothy, off-white head coats the top of the glass, leaving behind a good deal of lacing and sticky residue at the sides of the glass. Contains a good deal of sediment at the bottom of the glass, and indeed, it is slightly cloudy overall. Looks like a good home brew, to be perfectly honest.

Smells really interesting, however, and I'm not sure if the bottle's age has affected the beer, but it's really brought out a lot of fruitiness and mellow, herbal goodness to the mix on top of the roasted malt base. At first, there's flavors awash with dark fruits, such as figs, prunes, and raisins (indeed, the same qualities found in, say, a Belgian quad), as well as cocoa powder, some coffee, light anise, and then pine, orange peel, and cardamom at the finish. Finishes with a light cinnamon and caramel flavor. It's definitely not as dank as other black IPAs, although is this really an IPA? It feels far more like its own twist on the usually hoppy style, opting more to focus on the fruity yeasty and roasted malty characteristics, and to be honest, I'm pretty happy for it.

Tastes about the same as it is in the aroma, with a little bit more of a pronounced bitterness from the hops as well as a roasted character at the finish. Starts off the same - dark fruits come in, followed by the delightful cocoa powdery flavor, with some lightly ground coffee beans, anise, pine, and even some brief tobacco, to my surprise. Retains a herbal characteristic throughout, similar to that of black tea, and is slightly peppery at the finish. Otherwise, this is far more on the malty side, showcasing a toasted malt profile with a good amount of caramel and cinnamon. Melded with the pine, it works really well, but it's pretty even-grounded when it comes to measuring its bitter traits. Feels wet and slightly oily, although it has a dry, chocolate nib kind of consistency that is slightly tannic and grainy, but enjoyable overall. Medium-bodied, which works for the balanced flavor profile at hand. Really good stuff!

This was a surprise to me - and it may be the very first black ale that doesn't knock you over with hops or a charred roasted character. Rather, it's fruity, slightly bitter, and roasted to an extent, but maintains a degree of control throughout consumption. I do wish I had had this fresh, but it's held up quite nicely. Just like their Chub Step porter, a great everyday drinking richer ale.